Joe Marconi

I think people who are in a position to influence others have a responsibility to report the truth, not just give opnion. If it's an opinion, then they should state that. Freedom of speech is one thing, sensationalism is another.

That's right, Gonzo. We do all we can to verify the repair and to check for pending codes. We will also keep the car over night to road the car another ddrive cycle and peform another scan. BUT, we all know that there are times when things will go wrong. I am just interested how other shops are dealing with customers. I have my policy and procedures, I want to see how they differ or are they the same as other shops.

You will find a lot of useful information and you will get a lot of help from your fellow shop owners. Thanks for being part of ASO!

I agree with you. That particular price is a bit too high. I would want to hear the shop's reasoning for that price. Was it a computer matrix error, or maybe they bumped up the price because the owner supplied his own parts? Or maybe just a stupid mistake? The other issue that bothers me is when people listen to a journalist, like he his some "expert", just because he wrote an article. People don't realize that a writer's opinion is often slanted. That's human nature. And, on top of that, the writer wants to excite the audience. I need to say it again...Hey, media people.... write something nice about us, just once!

Do you feel the time spent educating the customer pays off? Or, are some people just unrealistic toward their view on our business?

XRAC, do you enjoy getting my blood pressure to a boil? I think that labor charge has to be a mistake. But, why are we always defending ourselves. This is a free market and still America (isn't it?). We are free to charge what we want and the consumer is free to shop where they want. I repsonded to the article, here's what I wrote: "I am a auto repair shop owner for nearly 30 years and I can tell you that the consumer is getting a fair deal with what we charge. First of all why a shop would accept the customer's parts is a problem to begin with. We never do that! You don't bring your eggs to the diner and tell them to cook them for you, do you? What Elliot does not realize is all the coutless hours we spend on repairing cars that we do not bill the customer because we gave the customer a price and we are honest enough to stand behind our ethics. Hey somone out there in media land...try writing something nice about us for a change. WE KEEP AMERICA ROLLING, DON'T FORGET THAT!"

You seem to have a good attitude toward this issue, better than mine. I like the " leak in the tire" analogy. I will use that. What it comes down to is consumer education, but like you said, I don't want to be slammed by another shop. Plus, sometime there is not enough time in the day.

Have you ever solved a check engine problem only to have the customer return a few days later with the light on again, but this time for a different code? We have all been down this road. To avoid customers issues we explain how the on board computer works and tell them that because the check engine was on, other tests have been blocked by the car’s computer. This means that if there is another problem, the computer will only check it after this problem is solved. As a result, the check engine light may return if there is another problem. No matter how hard you try to explain this to a customer (and we also state this on the invoice) the customer has a tough time understanding it. All they see is the “same” check engine light and naturally assume it’s the same problem. How are you handling this issue?

According to my supplier the problem is with the Chinese parts. I think American auto parts companies have shot themselves in the foot in attempt to be too completive on price. Maybe it’s because the market demanded it? If you think about it many parts like calipers, rotors, started, alternators, axles, etc have come down in price drastically the past 5 years so. And I think the quality has gone down too. And when you think about, if shops are working on a fixed margin (like 50% markup), we were better off when a brake rotor cost $30.00 as opposed to $15.00.

Here’s a problem everyone should be aware of. We replaced both axles on a 2005 Subaru Outback, 2.5. We replaced the axle because both outer axle joints boots were broken. After we put the axles in, the car had a bad vibration at idle and felt like bad engine mounts. We found an Identifix bulletin about aftermarket axles causing this problem. A few phone calls to the part supplier later, we found out that these axles are new from China and they are machined wrong and somehow transmitting the engine vibrations thru the vehicle. Many part companies carry these axles under different names, so be carefull!

**** Here is the Outline from the women's clinic***** Consumer Automotive clinic # 1 (Women’s Clinic) Keeping You Safe on the Road & understanding your car care needs - Give Short bio about yourself and company; explain the purpose and goals of the clinic - Introduce Staff members Begin Clinic: Today, all surveys show that women are not only becoming more influential in deciding what car to buy, they are also taking over the traditionally male-dominated responsibility of maintenance and repair. With this increased buying power of women comes an increasing need for automotive service employees to understand women’s likes and dislikes, as well as their buying habits. Here are some facts: • ASE reports that 65 percent of customers who take their car to a repair shop are women and in some market areas that number is as high as 80% • 52% of all new car purchases are made by women • Of all used-car purchased, 53% are made by women • When it comes to a couple or family purchasing a new car, women influence the decision by 85% and display 95% of the vetoing power against a car (Woman Motorist, 2000; Road and Travel, 2004). • Women spend $300 billion annually on new cars, use cars, service and repairs (Road and Travel, 2004). • Women value safety (77.8%) over men (65.3%) (Edmunds • As of 2004, more than 68% of all women use the Internet to research product information and resources online (Road and Travel, 2004). • At The Auto Channel, (which is an online automotive information web site) women make up 56.1% of the readership. • The overall percentage of female drivers rose from 4% in 1972 to 49% in 1996, while the overall percentage of male drivers decreased from 56% to 51%. (Source: U.S. Department of Transportation) Conclusion: the automotive world is no longer a male dominated industry. Our Goals today: • To give you a better understanding of the world of automotive service and repair • To give you the knowledge to get the most from your car, tips to save money and make it last longer • And, the most important, to make sure that you are safe on the road Begin Topics: How do YOU choose an Auto Repair shop? For example, your son or daughter will be going to school in North Carolina, how do I find a reputable shop down there? - Things to look for: o Find the shop before you need one o ASE Certification (show business card and brochure) o TNP Affiliation (show business card and brochure) o Look for other affiliation, ex, chamber of commerce o Cleanliness, junk cars, junk around the shop, etc o Talk to people in the area, word of mouth o Don’t judge by price alone o Stay away with what we call “Shade Tree Mechanics” o Go in and talk with the owner or manager o Do I need to take my new car or new lease car back to the dealer for routine service? NO! o Review The Magnuson Moss Act of 1975 (have hand outs) Now let’s get to some key areas of auto service Common Warning Signs: Note: You are driver, you are the best judge on how your car is running or handling o Pay attention to anything that does not feel the same  Pull to one side  Shimmy at hi speeds from steering wheel  Shimmy at low speeds  A pulsation when you apply the brakes  Brake noises, although not always an indicator of a serious problem  Lack of power  Unusual noises from the engine  Does the engine have the power it should  Does the engine seem to stumble or hesitate or idle low? These are all indicators of potential problems that can leave you stranded.  Take a look from time to time under the car, any leaks?  Take a walk around the car from time to time; inspect lenses, tires, glass. Dash Warning Lights (review and explain in detail) • Check engine light o Flashing check engine light • ABS and or brake light • TCS • Air bag • Oil light • TPMS • Battery light or GEN light, or Alt • Coolant light or temperature light • Some cars use the cruise control light to warn of power train problems Please note, when a warning light is on, certain systems will be shut down Non-Warning Dash lights, information lights or messages • Maintenance required light • Low washer solvent and other fluid lights • Door ajar light • Fuel door • Low fuel light • Seat belt light • Other messages… What do I do if you get a flat tire? *** REFER TO NATIONAL SAFETY CONCIL Hand-out *** • If it occurs while cruising, especially on the highway… o Think safety first, don’t worry about the tire First reaction may be to put foot on the brakes o If it’s a front tire, be sure to hold the wheel steady, the car may tend to pull one side o Steer off the road to the right hand shoulder o If there is no should, move to the right, slow down, put the hazard lights on and pull off the road when you know absolutely that you are safe o Again don’t worry about the tire or rim • So, now you have a flat tire. Here’s what you are going to do o Pull out your cell phone or OnStar  Call family  Call road side assistance  Call your service center • You should always carry a cell phone and have stored emergency numbers Why not teach you how to change a flat tire?  Years ago it was a lot easier  Today, I’m not sure I could tell you how to find the jack in your car, let alone where to place the jack safely.  I hear all the time the trouble people have getting to the jack, getting the spare tire out and knowing where to place the jack  Another thing, on many SUV’s, and light trucks, the spare tire is under the car, and you need to unwind the spare tire down. The problem is that many times the mechanism is seized. If you could get the spare tire down, you will have to crawl under the car on you back and lift the tire up, off the cable. o Everyone should have some sort of road side assistance program like AAA or through your insurance company. We offer free road side assistance from a company called SAFTRACK, a nation-wide program, for all customers, if needed. How to communicate better when a problem occurs A little understanding of common problems will help you through the repair process. I will review some of the more common problems and what they mean: Sometimes we, (mechanics) use terms that the public may or may not understand and may be embarrassed to ask to explain, Do not be embarrassed; if you do not understand something, ASK! Scenarios: (review and explain in detail) - Crank, no start - No crank, no dash lights, no power - Start and stall, cannot keep engine running - Engine starts, no power or no transmission - No power , can be accompanied with a check engine light o Could be a brake issue, brake sticking or seized caliper  Smell??? - Overheating - No brakes or spongy pedal - Stalled while driving and will not restart - Noises o Engine noises o Transmission noises or slipping o From under the car o When going over bumps o Going over speed bumps - Oil leaks, all types; different colors - Exhaust noise or loud exhaust ( muffler) - NY state inspections, what is a failure? You just hit a massive pot hole, did you do any damage? - Pot holes can cause severe damage to: o Steering components o Suspension, shocks, struts o Wheel damage o Tire damage o Wheel alignment o Tire balance o Repeated pounding from pot holes is not good and should be avoided We recommend a complete steering, suspension check along with a wheel alignment in the spring Tips to long car life: - Always perform scheduled maintenance along with period oil changes - Consider performing recommendations that may not be listed in your owner’s manual - Preventive maintenance will lower the chances of break-downs and lower the total cost of ownership - Preventive maintenance improves and maintains fuel economy - Basic services such as tire rotations and wheel alignments can extend the life of your tires, putting money in your pocket - Changing your air filter when needed will make your car run better, save fuel and extend engine life, a simple filter - Changing your cabin filter will allow your car’s heater and A/C to work better but is healthy for you. An oil change is not just an oil change: - The most cost effective service and most important service - Change oil and filter but a lot more  Gives a trained mechanic the chance to inspect the entire vehicle: • Lights • All fluids levels • Belts • Hoses • Listen to the engine • Road test for transmission issues, brake issues, steering issues • Inspect tires • Adjust tire pressure • Check suspension shocks • Make recommendations to keep you safe and prevent a potential problem from turning into a major issue, saving you money • Changing oil and the oil filter is critical for long engine life

We all need to realize the impact women make in our business. We are not in a male dominated industry anymore. Women are the prime decisions makers and want to be treated as equals...and they should. Women actually make better customers, once they gain trust in you.

Great, we need some positive press. It seems we are targets for the media. I have said this over and over; We are among the hardest working people in history. We keep Amercia moving. Don't judge us because of a few bad apples and don't write things about us that's not true or misleading.

I have read this article before and I have to tell you, it’s misleading. How can anyone paint every situation with the same brush? The only thing that I am not a fan of is the use of the term “flush”. We don’t flush the engine oil at every oil service, do we? We change the oil as part of the required maintenance. Potentially every fluid can break down and if it does, it should be changed, just like oil or coolant. But I will not hesitate for a moment and recommend the replacement of any fluid that I see in my professional judgment needs changing. If a customer was stuck in the snow and overheated his transmission and the fluid smelled burnt, would you recommend replacing it? Of course you would! If you were replacing rear wheel cylinders and the brake fluid looked like mud, would you recommend replacing the brake fluid? Of course you would. I don’t like people who pass judgment on the ENTIRE industry because of a few bad apples. Another thing, when I started in the early 19701’s it was rare that a car reached 100,000 miles. Now people expect their cars to go over 200k. Well how are you going to reach 200k without preventive maintenance? AND ONE MORE THING: You cannot go by the glove box manual, becuase there is nothing in there. The car maker does not want you to maintain your car, it will last too long if you did. The car maker wants to sell you another car. SO....who do you trust? I feel like Nixon when I say this…but, I am not a crook just because I recommend fluid changes. Can someone please write a positive article about us…just once!

The demands of running a shop can catch up to the best of us. As a shop owner for nearly thirty years I know all too well that down time away from the shop is a must. The business marathon we all seem to run can lead to burnout, which can have detrimental consequences on your business and more importantly, on your health. Book days off and schedule vacation time; your business will survive. Actually it’s your survival that’s more important. You will be surprised how more productive you are once your internal batteries are recharged.

Here in New York we have an annual safety and emissions inspection. All vehicles for the first 2 years only get a safety inspection, after that all vehicles sold after 1996 get a safety and OBDII emissions check. Any car with a check engine light fails automatically. For cars 1995 and older, going back 25 years, need a dyno emissions test if you live New York City and the surrounding counties around NYC. As you can see it’s a confusing program and not the best run program. However, I support it and think that if we did not have this program too many people would not maintain their vehicles properly. Has a public inspection station it is truly amazing the state of disrepair some of the cars are that come to me for the first time. I hope NY never gives up the inspection program.

I am going to edit the lesson play and "spell check it" and post it in a day or so.

I promoted it a number of ways. I made a generic TV commercial about consumer clinics what aired a month before the clinic date. I will use the commercial in the future, since I will be holding these on a regular basis, probably 4-6 times a year. I had 2 already. I also announced on the radio, it on my web site, a made a poster for the waiting area and I sent out an email newsletter a few time inviting people to come to all my customers and to all the local business groups in the area. We also asked the local papers to give us some free press. I also featured it my quarterly newsletter . We started promoting it about 6 weeks prior to the first class and now it will be promoted on an on-going basis with classdates to be determined. It was a women’s clinic only. We had one guy show up for the 2nd clinic (my daughter’s boyfriend). There was no fee for the class but the clinics were actually fund raisers for local organizations that help needed families. Most women donated something. We actually will be starting Defensive Driving courses at my shop also, but I would not incorporate the clinics with the driving course; two separate audiences and deferent massages. Plus the defensive course is a required 6 hours. I do have a lesson plan: If anyone would like a copy let me know I could send you my notes.

The food bank program is a great thing to get involved with. You should be proud. Shop owners need to realize how vital it is to their business to get involved with the community. When people see you outside the shop environment, it makes a difference.

The only car maker we flash is Toyota. The question is how often do we need to do this and are we able to get a return on our investment? Also, what vehicle makes do we buy the programs for? I think we as business people will need to make some hard choices in the future. I had a Volvo last summer with a bad window motor, only to find out that after I installed the motor, it had to be re-programmed. This is a deliberate act to get that car back to the dealer.

We had an Infinity the other day with a high idle problem and a logged error for idle control. We diagnosed it as a bad idle control motor which took out the computer. The problem is that the computer needed to be re-programmed. So we had to send the car to the dealer for the reprogramming. We are seeing more and more of this. What are your plans to compete in the future? Should we concede and just send these cars back to the dealer?

Last week we held two consumer clinics for women. Both were a huge success. I spoke about the importance of car maintenance, safety, what to do if you have a break-down and gave them many more tips. I expected the clinic to last about an hour or so, but went on for over 2 hours. The clinic was so successful that I am already planning another one in July for teen drivers and students going back to college.

I guess I'm one of those "old guys"...right? Welcome to ASO! I have a few questions for you az mike. How long have you been in business? What are your future goals for your business? AND, the most important question, are you happy with the way things are with your business?

I know signage is important, but never saw a sign make that kind of difference. If the banner works, keep it. Signage is a big issue in my area too. When I was building my new location the town had so many restrictions. The town has no clue about business. Even the placement of the signs makes a difference. Is it possible to load the signs onto the site?

Welcome to AutoShopOwner! Sorry, I have no knowledge of that tool. Glad you enjoy ASO, stay invloved.